Track-sander.



' 1.3. PBARGB.

TRACK SANDER.

APPLICATION FILED 0UT.12, 1910.

1,005,462. Patented 001.1111911.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l2.

JAMES FRANKLIN PEARCE, OF GREENSBORO, NORTH CAROLINA.

TRACK-SANDER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 10, 1911.

Application led'October 12, 1910. Serial No. 586,645. l

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES F. PEARCE, citi- Zen of the United States,residing at Greensboro, in the county of Guilford and State of NorthCarolina, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Track-Sanders, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to devices for sanding tracks, the object of theinvention being to provide means for controlling the passage of sandfrom the usual sand box, whereby sand may be ejected by an air blasteither into the front or rear sand pipes, or may be allowed to flow bygravity, either to the front or rear sand pipes as desired, thus doingaway with the necessity of using` the air blast for ejecting the sandwhen it is necessary to economize in the use of air, as is often thecase. The mechanism devised for this purpose includes a valve casing anda valve therein, the valve being so constructed that when shifted intoone position it will close the outlet ports through which the sand flowsby gravity, but when shifted to certain other positions will open theseoutlets and direct the flow of the sand, either in front of or behindthe driving wheels of the locomotive, or when shifted into certain otherpositions it will close the outlet ports through which the sand flows bygravity but will open the outlet port through which sand is ejected bycompressed air and direct the sand either to the front or rear of thetrack.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a locomotive showing the position of thesand box and of the sand pipes leading therefrom. Fig. 2 is a horizontalsection through the sand box on the line 2 2 of Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is avertical section through the sand box on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2, therotatable valve being shown in elevation. Fig. 4 is asection on the line4 4 of Fig. 2 showing the valve turned so as to direct the flow of sandto the rear sand pipes. Fig. 5 is a fragmentary section taken on thesame line as. Fig. 4 but illustrating the position of the valve turnedso as to direct the flow to the front or forward sand pipes. Fig. 6 is alike section to Fig. 5 but taken on the line 6 6 of Fig. 2 and showingthe valve so turned as to direct the sand by gravity through the rearsand pipes. Fig. 7 is a like view to Fig. 6 but showing the valve turnedso as to direct the sand by gravity through the forward sand pipes. Fig.8 is a perspective view of the rotatable valve. Fig. 9 is a sectionalperspective view of the valve casing to show the position of the ports.Fig. 10 is an end view of the valve casing, thev valve being removed,the view showing the flared terminations 10.

In the drawings 2 designates a sand box of any suitable character andwhich as illustrated in Fig. l is mounted upon the boiler A of alocomotive, this being the usual position in which the sand box iscarried. From the sand box extend the oppositely disposed pairs of pipes3 and 4, the pipes 3 extending downward and forward and terminating infront of the forward driving wheels of the locomotive, the pipes4extending rearward and downward and terminating behind the rearmost pairof driving wheels. This construction is practically the same as thatusually adopted in sanding devices.

In sanding devices, as at present in use on railroads, the sand isejected from the sand box by means of a blast of compressed air and notby gravity. It is oftentimes the case that it is not desirable to usethe compressed air for the purpose of ejecting the sand, it beingnecessary to economize the air. It is sometimes the case, also, that thecompressed air has been exhausted, and in both these cases it isdesirable that some means should be provided .whereby the sand may beallowed to iiow down on to the track by gravity. It is necessary lalsothat means be provided whereby the sand may be directed, either throughthe forward pair of sand pipes or through the rear pair of sand pipes atwill.

As a means of accomplishing the' results above stated, I mount in theinterior of the v sand box 2 the valve casing 5 which is preferably inthe form of a solid casting, though it may be constructed in anysuitable manner and which fills up the entire lower portion of the sandbox, the casting 5 being circular in plan. The interior of the castingis bored out as at 6, the passage so formed extending transverselyentirely across the casing or casting 5 and being open at its ends. Theupper face of the Casting 5 is formed with a central opening or port 7and is also formed at its opposite ends with the ports 8. The centralport 7 is the port through which sand is ejected by means of an airblast, while the ports 8 are for the purpose of allowing the sand toflow from the sand box by gravity. Extending parallel with the centralbore or passage 6 are the passages 9. These passages at their ends areflared and outwardly curved as at 10 and are connected to the sand pipes3 and et respectively. Themiddle portion of each of the passages 9 opensinto the central passage 6 or valve bearing, as illustrated in Fig. 9.The ends of the passage 9 also open into the passage 6, as at 11.

Mounted within the passage 6 and rotatable therein is the oscillatingvalve 12 which is shown in detail in Fig. 8. This valve is cylindricalin form and at its middle is circumferentially grooved as at 13. rlhegroove 13 only extends partly around the valve, as illustrated in saidFig. 9, so that an abutment 14 is left, separating the ends of thegroove from each other. The opposite ends of the valve 12 are channeledas at 15, the channels being diametrieally opposite to each other andbeing separated from each other by the solid portion 16 of the valve,the space between the ends of the channels 15 being greater than thediameter of the ports 8. It will thus be seen that when the rotatablevalve 12 is turned so that the portions 16 are immediately beneath theports 8 that the ports 8 will be closed, but that when in this positionthe port 7 will open into the channel or groove 13 formed at the middleof the valve. It will also be seen that sand passing into the port 7will be directed into the channel 13 and carried partially around thepassage or bore 6 and directed into either one of the passages9,depending upon the angular position of the valve 12. Thus as shown inFig. 4L, when the abutment 14 is turned so as to be in front of the port7, the sand will enter the port 7 and be directed into the rear sandpipes 4t, while when the valve is rot-ated in the position shown in Fig.5 the abutment 14 will be moved to a position rearward of the opening ofthe port and the sand will be directed into the pipes 3.

In order to force the sand downward into the pipes 9 and laterallythrough the pipes 9 so that the sand may pass out through the pipes?) orLl, there is provided the compressed air inlet pipe 17 which extendsinto the sand box 2 and has a depending branch 18 which extends downwardand opens just above the port 7. The force of this blast passing downthrough the port 7 will carry the san with it and4 will positively`force the sand into the passages 9 and laterally out through saidpassages into the'sand pipes. It is to be noted in this connection thatthe port 7 by which the sand is ejected by means of the compressed airis located at the middle of the casting 5. As a consequence when thereis no compressed air turned on, the sand, though it may pass downthrough the channel 13 of the valve 12 and into one or the other of thepassages 9, yet will not pass out through the pipes 3 or 4, for thereason that the straight passages 9 will not permit the flow of sandunder the force oi gravity. The sand will simply bank up in thesepassages 9 and cannot be forced through except under the impulsion of ablast of air from the pipe 18. Therefore, by turning oit' the air in thepipe 17 it is possible to preventthe ejection of sand through the port7.

Then it is desired to allow the sand to flow upon the tracks by thetorce of gravity and thus economize the air, the valve 12 is rotated tothe position shown in Figs. 6 and 7. Then the 'valve is rotated in onedirection, one of the channels 15 will be brought into register at itsends with the port 8 and with the passage 11, this passage 11 beingdownwardly and outwardly inclined. Hence the sand will flow by gravitydown through the duct thus formed and on to the rear of the track. Whenit is desired that the sand shall be directed to the front of the track,the valve is turned, as shown in Fig. 7, the channel 15 registering withthe passage 8 and with the passage 11 leading to the pipes 3, and thesand will tlow by gravity through the pipes 3 and on to the track. Whenthe valve is turned so that the portion 16 is in alinement with the port8, then no sand can pass. I may use any desired means for operating thisvalve and I do not wish to be limited to any special means to this end.I have shown, however, for this purpose the valve 12 as being extendedthrough the side walls ot the sand box, as illustrated in Fig. 3, and ashaving attached thereto the projecting arm 20, which in turn isconnected by a rod 21 to any suitable operating lever 22 in the eab. Byshifting this lever 22 it is possible to rock the valve 12 and thusbring its channels into register with the various ports 7 and 8.

My invention is very simple, can be easily applied to the ordinarylocomotive without any essential change therein, or in the sand boxthereof:l and, as will be seen, is adapted to direct the sand either bycompressed air or by gravity upon the tracks, either in front of thedriving wheels or to the rear thereof.

IVhile I have shown what I believe to be a very practical and eiiicientform of my de-` vice, I do not wish to be limited thereto as it isobvious that many changes might be made therein without departing fromthe spirit of my invention.

liVhat I claim is:

1. In a track sanding apparatus, the combination of a sand box having anair blast outlet opening and a gravity flow opening, a sanding pipeleading from the sand box, an air blast pipe entering the sand box anddischarging immediately adjacent to the air blast opening of the same,and a shiftable valve movable into one position to establishcommunication between the air blast opening and the sanding pipe or intoanother position to establish communication between the gravity flowopening and the sanding pipe.

2. In a track sanding apparatus, the combination with a sand box, offront and rear sanding pipes leading therefrom, a valve casing in thesand box having passages leading to said pipes and provided with an airblast port and a gravity flow port, an air blast pipe entering the sandbox and discharging immediately above the air blast port of the valvecasing, and a sliiftable valve in said casing adapted when in oneposition to establish communication between either one or both of thesanding pipes and the air blast port, or when moved into anotherposition to connect the gravity flow port with either one or both ofsaid sanding pipes.

3. In a track sanding apparatus, the combination with a sand box havinggravity flow discharge openings at opposite ends thereof and an airblast discharge opening placed between the gravity flow dischargeopenings, of oppositely disposed pairs of sanding pipes, each paircomprising a front and rear sanding pipe, an air blast pipe entering thesand box and discharging immediately above the air blast openingthereof, and a valve movable into position to establish communicationbetween said air blast opening and either the front or rear sandingpipes or into position to establish communication between the gravityflow discharge openings and either pair of front or rear sanding pipes.

4L. In a track-sanding apparatus, the combination with a sand box, of asanding pipe leading therefrom, a valve casing in the sand box having apassage leading to said pipe and provided with an air blast port and agravity flow port, a shiftable valve movable into one position toconnect said air blast port with said passage or into another positionto connect the gravity flow port with said passage, and an air blastpipe entering the sand box and discharging immediately above the airblast port of the valve casing.

5. In a track-sanding apparatus, the combination with a sand box, of asanding pipe leading therefrom, a casing in the sand box having apassage leading to said pipe and provided with an air blast port and agravity flow port opening into the interior of the sand box, and ashiftable valve movable into one position to connect said air blast portwith said passage and in this position to cut off communication betweenthe gravity flow port and said passage and movable to another positionto connect said gravity flow port with the passage.

6. In a track-sanding apparatus, the combination with a sand box, of afront and rear sanding pipe leading therefrom, an air blast pipeentering the sand box and having a downwardly extending branch, a valvecasing in the bottom of the box having oppositely disposed parallelpassages leading each to one of said pipes, said valve casing having anair blast port disposed immediately beneath the branch from the airblast pipe, and an oscillatable valve rotatably mounted in the valvecasing midway between and parallel to the said passages and immediatelybeneath said ports, said passages having each ports opening against theface of the valve, one of said ports being in alinement with the airblast port of the air tlow port casing and the other with the gravityflow port thereof, said valve having a circumferential channel inalinement with the air blast port and the corresponding ports leadinginto the passages, and also having oppositely disposed channels spacedfrom each other and located in the same plane, and alining with thegravity flow ports in the casing and with the corresponding portsleading into said passages, and means for rotating said valve in onedirection or the other to bring one or the other of said oppositelydisposed channels into register with the gravity flow port in the casingand the corresponding port leading into one or the other of saidpassages.

In testimony whereof, I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JAMES FRANKLIN PEARCE. [1.. S.]

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

